Display device



S. B. GRIFFIN.

DISPLAY DEVICE. APPLICATION mm -0v.24, 1920.

Patented Sept. 13, 1921 INVENTOB A4 nrroawer UNITED STATES SYDNEY B. GRIFFIN, OF MAMARONECK, NEW YORK.

DISPLAY DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 13, 1921.

Application filed November 24, 1920. Serial No. 426,119.

To (/71 u-lmm if may com-cm:

Be it known that I. SYDNEY l3. (imrrin, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mamaroneck. in the county of \Vestchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Display Devices. fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawing. forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to display devices and has for an object the providing 01 means for retaining a poster or the like fiat and erect while permitting the poster to be rolled into a small package for ease in transportation. 1

According to my invention, the poster 1s mounted or printed upon flexible material, such as paper or cloth. Two edge pieces are attached along the back of opposite parallel edges of the poster and these cdge pieces are provided with corrcsplmdingly placed hinges which permit their ends to bend in planes perpendicular to the edges of the poster to which they are attached. Thrust pieces are provided for pressing apart the edge pieces to stretch the poster flat. while the bending of the edge pieces permitted by the hinges allows the stretched poster to be bent into such position that it will stand erect without outside support. The thrust iieccs a re so arranged that they may be folded upon one of the edge pieces and when so folded serve to prevent this edge piece from bending so that the folded thrust pieces and the edge piecc form a straight rigid bar upon which the poster may be rolled for ease in transportation.

My invention will be fully understood from a detailed description of the embodi- -ment of it illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 a top view of the device in display position;

1* ig. 2 is a back elevation of the device 1n display position;

Fig. 3 is a top view showing the thrust pieces folded preparatory to rolling the poster for transportation;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the construction of the hinges of the edge pieces: and

Fig. .3 is a tragmentary sectional plan view of one of the hinges.

The poster 10 comprises a piece of flexible material such as cloth or paper upon one side of which display matter is printed, or otherwise displayed. Along the rear side of opposite edges of the poster 10 are attached jointed edge pieces 11, 12. The edge piece 11 comprises a middle member 13 and two end, members 14. 15, which are hinged to the ends of the middle member 13 in such a way that they may swing forward in a plane perpendicular to the edge of the poster 10 to which the edge piece 11 is at tached. The edge piece 12 comprises a middle member 16 and two end members 17 and 154 hinged to it so as to swing forward in a plane, parallel to the. edge of the poster 10 to which the edge piece 12 isattached. The hinges of the edge piece 12 are directly below the hinges of the edge piece 11. The material of the poster 11) is creased. or scored along the line connecting opposite hinges to facilitate its bending on that line.

The construction of the hinges ot' the edge iieccs is illustrated in Fig 4. Each hinge comprises a tongue 21) upon the end of one of the members adapted to it within a recess 21 in the end of the adjacent member. The members are connected by a pivot pin 22. The front faces of each of the members are cut away at :23 to provide a space in which the bulge of the material of the poster 10 between the edge members may lie when the edge members are bent at an angle to each other. 'hen the edge members are extended straight the end of the tongue 20 of one member engages the end of the recess 21 of the adjacent member (Fig. 5) so that backward bending of the hinge, which would result in tearing the material of the poster 10. is prevented.

The thrust piece comprises two thrust members 26 and 27, whose inner ends are overlapped and connected together by a pivot 2H. The outer end of the thrust member 26 is connected to'the middle of the back of the cnd member 11 of the edge piece 11 by a pivot 21). The outer end of the thrust member 2T is provided with a projection 30 adapted to engage a socket 31 in the inner edge of the end member 17 of the edge piece 12. The thrust member 32 is similar to the thrust member 27. Its upper end is attached to the middle of the end member 15 of the edge piece 11 by a pivot 33, while its lower end is adapted to engage a socket 34 in the end member 18 ot' the edge piece 12.

The operation of the device described is as follows:\\'hen the poster 10 is to be displayed, it is unrolled and the thrust pieces'25, 32 are extended nearly straight across the back of the poster 10. .Their free ends are then inserted in the sockets 31, 34, and the pivot point of each thrust member is moved sidewise to cause the thrust member to extend in a straight line. hen so extended, the thrust member 25 exerts an outward thrust between the end members 14 and 17 and the thrust member 32 exerts an outward thrust between the end members 15 and 18. This draws tight the portions of the poster 10 between the end pieces. As the jointed edge pieces cannot bend except in a plane perpendicular to the edges of the poster 10. the outward thrust upon the end members of the edge pieres serves also to draw the middle members 13. 16 of the edge pieces outwardly and so stretches the middle of the poster it) tight.

After the entire poster is drawn tlat by the placing of the thrust pieces as describe l. the end members of the edge pieces and the portions of the poster between them may be bent forward as shown in Fig. i so as-to e11- able the poster to stand erect without outside support. In such hi nding the material of the poster bends along the linc of the rreascs or scores connecting the opposite hinges so that'the portion of the poster bctwcen the middle members of the edge pieces and the portions between the end members of the edge pieces remain Hat.

\Vhen it is desired to transport the derive. the end members of the edge picccs are swung upon their hinges until they extend in a line with the middle members of the edge )ieces. The thrust picccs 25, 32 are then held sidewisc. disengaged from the sorkets 3]. 3+. and folded against the edge piece 11. In folding the thrust pieces. the thrust members which are pivoted to the cnd members: are extended outwardly along the end n'icmhers. while the lower thrust members are extended inwardly so that their free ends overlap behind the middle member 13 as shown in Fig. 3. The poster 1" is then rolled tightly around the edge piece ti. and the folded thrust pieces. The first turn of the poster about the edge piece it and the folded thrust pieces retains the free ends of the thrust pieces against the middle member 13 of the edge piece 11 and thus retains the end members 14. 15, of the edge piece in line with the middle member 11 so that a straight rigid bar. is provided upon which the poster may easily be rolled.

Many modifications may be made in the embodiment described without departing from the invention. Thus. while the toldable thrust pieces described have the peculiar advantages pointed out above, any desired' means tor thrusting apart the opposite members of the edge pieces may be provided without departing from the scope of the in-' the poster and rention in its broader aspect. If desired, the number of hinges in each edge piece may be increased or decreased. ,The device may be used for the display of pictures, photographs and printed matter of all kinds, all of which are intended to be included in the term poster in the rlaims following.

\Vhat is claimed is:

1. The, combination with a flexible poster having parallel opposite edges, of edge pieces secured along said opposite edges of each comprising an intermediate member and two end 1' embers hinged to the ends of the interlnedia e member so as to swing in a plane perpendicular to the ends of the poster, the hinges of one edge picre bring opposite the hinges of the other Mgrpiece. and means for thrusting apart corrcspomling end members of the two edge pieces and thereby drawing apart the intermcdiate niemla-rs of the edge pieces so that the whole poster is drawn tight.

L The combination with a flexible poster having parallel opposite edges, of edge picres secured along said opposite edges of the poster and each com n'ising an ii'itermev diate member and two end members hinged to the ends of the intermediate member so as to swing in a plane perpendicular to the cnds ot' the poster. the hinges of one edge piccc being opposite the hinges of the other rdgc piece and the material of the poster being formed to bend along the lines conne ting the opposite hinges, and means for thrusting apart, corresponding end members of the two edge pieces and thereby drawing apart the intermciliate members of the edge pieces so that the whole poster drawn tight.

3. The ronibination with a flexible poster having parallcl opposite edges. of edge picres secured along said opposite edges of the poster and cat-h comprising an intermediate member and two end mcmbers hinged to the ends of the intermediate member so as to swing in a plane perpendirnlar to the curls ot' the poster. the hinges of one edge picce being opposite the hinges of the other edge piece. and foldable thrust pieces adapted to thrust apart corresponding end members of the two edge pieces and thereby draw apart the intermediate members of the cdgc pieces so that the whole poster is drawn tight.

Ll. 'lhc combination with a flexible poster baring parallel opposite edges. of edge pieces secured along said opposite edges of the poster and caeh comprising an intermediate member and two end members hinged to the ends of the intermediate member so as to swing in a plane perpendicular to the ends of the poster. the hinges of one edge piece being opposite the hinges of the other edge piece and the poster being creased along the line connecting opposite hinges,

ltlil liltl and foldable thrust pieces adapted to thrust apart corresponding end members of the two edge pieces and thereb draw apart the intermediate members of tlie edge pieces so that the whole poster is drawn tight.

5. The combination with a flexible poster having parallel opposite edges, of edge pieces secured along said opposite edges of the poster and each comprising an intermediate member and two end members hinged to the ends of the intermediate member so as to swing in a plane perpendicular to the ends of the poster, the hinges of one edge piece being opposite the hinges of the other edge piece, and foldable thrust piecesadapted to thrust apart corresponding end members of the two edge pieces and thereby draw apart the intermediate members of the edge pieces so that the whole poster is drawn tight, each of said thrust pieces being permanently pivoted to an end member of one of the edge pieces.

6. The combination with a flexible poster having parallel opposite edges, of edge pieces secured along said opposite edges of the poster and each comprising an intermediate member and two end members hinged to the ends of the intermediate member so as to swing in a plane perpendicular to the ends of the poster, the hinges of one edge piece being opposite the hinges of the other edge piece, two thrust pieces each adapted to exert an outward thrust upon corresponding end members of said edge pieces and each comprising a thrust member pivoted to one of the end members of one of said edge pieces, and a thrust member pivoted to said first mentioned thrust member and having its free end adapted to enga e one of the end members of the other of said edge pieces, said thrust members being adapted to fold against the one of said edge ieces to which they are pivoted with their ree ends overlapping.

7. In a display device, with a flexible poster. of apiece secured the combination v alon the back of the poster and com rising mem ers hinged together and each liaving its front side cut away at the end adjacent to the hinge to provide a space for the bulge of said poster when said members are bent forwardly on their hinge.

In a display device, the.combination with a flexible oster, of a piece secured along the back 0 the poster and com rising members having their adjacent en s pivotally connected to ether, one of said ends being provided with a recess and the other with a tongue adapted to engage the end of the recess when the piece lies in a straight line and thus prevent a backward bending of the piece.

9. In a display device, the combination with a flexible oster, of a piece secured along the back 0 the poster and comprising members connected together by a hinge arranged to prevent backward bending of the piece while permitting it to bend forwardly, and having a groove to provide a space for the bulge of said poster when the piece is bent forwardl 10. The com ination with a flexible poster having parallel opposite edges, of edge pieces secured along said opposite edges of the poster and .each comprising members hinged together so as to swing in a plane perpendicular to the ends of the poster, the hinge of one edge piece being opposite the hinge of the other edge piece, and means for thrusting apart corresponding members of the edge pieces and thereby holding the poster flat while permitting the portions of the poster upon opposite sides of the line connecting said hinges to be bent at an angle to each other so that the poster will stand erect.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SYDNEY B. GRIFFIN. lVitnesses ROBERT W. BYERLY, A. JAREOKI'.

It is hereby certified that Letters Patent No. 1,390,700, granted September 13,

1921, upon the application of Sydney B. Griffin, of Mamaronock, New York, for

an improvement in Display Devices, were erroneously issued to the inventor,

said Griflin, as owner of said invention, Whereas said Letters Patent sho uld hatebeen issued to T. Fred Moore, of New York, N. Y., as assignee of tire entire interest in-eaid invention, as shown by the record of nssignments in this oflice; and that the sink] Letters Patent should he read with this correction therein that the some.

may conform to the record of the ease in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 15th day oi November, A. D., 1921 [5mm] KARL FENNING,

Acting (,birimissioner of Petunia. 

